Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Hosting Your New Website

By Matt Hedges

Many individuals are venturing onto the Internet and accessing the World Wide Web to build a presence online. In the exciting world of technology we are in users can become online gurus sharing knowledge, or entrepreneurs of business. Web hosting allows people of all types to use the internet like never before. Space is purchased by the potential website owner and is accessible to viewers online. Web hosting companies offer these services at a monthly fee. They provide the processing and storage of data, disc space and connection to their services via internet. There can be large upfront investments required for such services. However, there are many high-quality low cost services available for those who seek them out. These services are perfect for the individual with limited financial resources.

People starting a new website should always be aware about the goal of the website. What the website wants to archive? This has to be asked before any step is taken to host it on the web. Search engine factors and typical SEO guidelines can complement the web hosting services to make a website popular and worthy enough. Self targeted questions like, why will people read a website? What are the benefits they carry and how can that be marketed over the web, would enable a website owner to structure the website in the desired format.

Below are some of the tips for web hosting of your new website:

Choosing a web host:

The very first thing a potential site owner needs to consider are what they need from their web host service. There are a few parameters to look at to make your consideration.

* Technical support: Unlike a large corporation, individual's seeking to operate a website have little to no technical knowledge of how the languages required work. Many web hosts are becoming aware of this and offer technical support 24/7 to give their smaller clients the knowledge need to get up and running.

* Packages and/discounts: Try to select a company that offers special package and discounts. Free templates and software provided by companies can interest user and they might be used for enhancing the web hosting service of a new website.

* All in one Hosting: Web hosts that offer bundles of services make it easier for individuals without IT knowledge to use their service. These bundles make it unnecessary to buy a variety of different tools to get one website online.

* MySQ Provisions: This is the most popular database systems. It should be in the basic hosting plan of any web host you consider. Whenever you have a need to build a database MySQL is the database you need to use. Many programs available to add to your website also use MySQL to function.

* SSL certificate security: An individual wishing to open an online business, service, or other eCommerce site needs to be capable of providing security to its customers. These types of web-stores often gather and store private information on their customers. Taking payments online with credit cards, and requiring insertion of addresses and other data demand the need for 'Secured Socket Layer' certificate security. Your web hosting service must provide this complicated service and be able to implement it as it needs vast technical knowledge to apply.

Calculating disc space needs:

The disc space you will need depends on the type of structure, and the amount of traffic your website will incur. Programs that need big portals such as chats, multiple email accounts, videos and forums will require a very large storage capacity. A typical 10 to 15 page site without those items will not consume nearly as much space and be cheaper to start up. A web host will charge for more space so it is advisable to use only what is necessary. You can always upgrade as your needs increase and you see the need for more space.

Using a dedicated server:

While it seems expensive and even a little scary there are many reasons a dedicated server is a good idea. Shared servers are often unstable and can collapse from overuse by too many clients. Your own website may not even be responsible for the traffic volume but you cannot control what other sites on the same server are doing. Dedicated servers reduce this risk to a very great extent. There is also a reduced risk of violating search engine guidelines with a dedicated server.

Deciding on bandwidth requirements:

New websites typically do not require large amounts of bandwidth and can start at the lower rates available. These plans usually last 3 to 4 months. You can adjust your needs accordingly at that time. Starting small saves you unnecessary charges at the start.

Hosting should be country specific:

It is best if the web host has domains available that are specific to the country of origin for your website. This allows popular search engines such as Google to identify and define the relevance of your site for residents of your country. For example: if an English based software firm hosts a website in the US, Google will show those results to customers looking for that service in the US and may cost you valuable customers, and hurt your ranking due to reduced relevance.

The right server operating system:

Most new websites are created on a Linux, or on the UNIX based BSD software. Such applications support Perl/CGI, PHP, and FrontPage. You will need a Windows based host if you need, or prefer to run .NET, ASP, MySQL, Access, or SBS as they require Windows to operate properly. The technicalities of your website may be difficult to understand but are vital.

There are many 'ifs' and 'buts' that will enter the picture as you decide on the proper web host. Highly technical implementation can also hinder your abilities to gain access to your site. In those cases it is advisable to seek the aid of a website developer that can get you operating efficiently.

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